Solutions that don’t break the bank, reinvent the wheel or marginalize our teachers are within our grasp. We could have rigorous classes, safe and disciplined schools and treat teachers like valued colleagues rather than easily replaceable cogs, and we could do so tomorrow if we wanted. Disclaimer, this is an opinion and commentary site and should not be confused as a news site. Also know that quite often people may disagree with the opinions posted.

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Religious school advocate wants public money but private curriculums.

While shilling for public money to finance religion based
schools, Robert B. Aguirre said it is up to religious schools alone to set
curriculum.

During a blog chat on Redefined Ed I asked him if public
should pay for classes that present non scientific topics, such as intelligent design as science. To which he
replied: Vouchers - or any form of public assistance for students - should
never dictate curriculum. That is the role of the private school.

He then went on to talk about choice as if it was somehow
holy saying: The whole point of
educational options is just that - options. The whole point of empowering
parents is to give them the power (as opposed to some entity) to determine what
educational option is best for their child. This is the very nature of parental
empowerment and equal opportunity to education.

Sad to say a lot of parents don’t make the best choice or
even informed choices for that matter and this is made even harder because the
forces in favor of school choice have sold the narrative that public schools are
failing and private schools an charter schools are doing better and none of
that is true.

What Mr. Aguirre and many of the pro school choice advocates
often fail to acknowledge is public school aren’t just for a set of parents and
their children, they are for all of society to benefit whether they have children
in public schools or not. That is why everybody chips in not just parents.

What the supporters of vouchers for religious schools actually
want is the ability have cake and eat it too, they want money from the public
but also want to set their own standards, hiring practices, certifications etc,
that are often in opposition to societies minimum public standards.

The bottom line is if people want to send their children to private religious schools either they or God, who I am a fan of, should provide.